I'm on 7.5mgs of Warfarin, and 1.25mgs of Bisoprolol. I've been taking the Biso for about 2 weeks, Warfarin for years. I have taken Biso before (2.5mg) for about week a year or so ago, and stopped because it made me feel very dull and lifeless.
GP advised me to start again but at just the 1.25 rate. But now my heart rate is sometimes down as low as 35, even when walking (very slowly). And my blood pressure is always on the low side at the moment, which is a first for me. This morning my heart rate (according to my wrist monitor), was 35-45 for 20-30 minutes whilst very slowly walking round to check my livestock.
Should I stop the Bisoprolol do you think? Could just 1.25 mg a day slow my heart that much? Had a thyroid blood check last week, and it was OK.
I'm waiting to see the cardiologist because could need a pacemaker GP thinks.
Thanks
PS. edited, my post makes it sound as though it's always low, it isn't, it's usually on the normal to high side (70-90).
I wouldn't stop taking bisoprolol without seeing your doctor about it first. Maybe have a word with your doctor about it first and tell him you are worried about your slow heartbeat - I would do that as soon as you can. If a pacemaker is recommended by your cardiologist, you may not need them any more anyway.
My experience is limited but might be useful Started AF in August - pulse normally 50 ( keep check on BP regularly as borderline hypertensive so know pulse normally is around 50/48bpm). Started on bisoprolol but stopped after a week because my pulse dropped to 41 and it was thought this was too low. I was on same dose as you. GP suggested just taking it if short epsisode AF at night didn't stop i e just when needed.
I'm on 2.5mg Bisoprolol and 7.8mg warfarin for AF and whilst the AF is controlled on this dose of Bisoprolol my pulse is 40 at rest and never more than 50 at work. My GP does not think this HR is a problem and he wants me to continue to take them. I am very tired on Bisoprolol but the only other side effect is light headedness if I get up too quickly from sitting to standing. I guess it depends on individual acceptable/non-acceptable side effects as to whether you should consider stopping the beta blocker, but of course an alternative would be needed in order to control your AF which will undoubtedly also have side effects!
The question is, does it actually stop/reduce your AF? If not does your heart race when in AF? If it's not having much effect other than make you feel ill then I would question whether you need to be on it. There are other beta blockers and particularly calcium channel blockers which you may tolerate better. A heart rate of 35 is far too low.
Your GP appears to have prescribed this. The trouble is they know little about AF (I know a number of GPs personally and they readily admit this). It is typical of a GP to cause a problem (i.e. low heart rate) and then recommend another device (i.e. pacemaker) to fix it.
I would suggest seeing a consultant asap.In the meantime seeing your GP and saying it has a bad effect and you want off it/try something else.
Thanks for the replies. I feel reassured that it has happened to others on Bisoprolol, even a low dose.
"The question is, does it actually stop/reduce your AF? If not does your heart race when in AF?"
The problem is my ticker is going slow and fast and changes incredibly quickly sometimes. It will quite often speed up when I relax (175 max recorded so far doing next to nothing), and then it can also slow down when I do gentle exercise like walking, that's when it went down to 35-45 and stayed there. It doesn't always do the reverse of what it should, but often enough.
Yesterday morning was terrible, could hardly do anything, since then I've been fine and really good today!! Forgot what being almost normal felt like. I am getting fluttery AF bouts but nothing much and mainly when I lie down at night in bed.
I think I'll stick with Biso for now but if I have another extended low HR I'm going to stop pronto, and see my GP, in that order. The one GP did remark that Biso may be a good idea for me, but she was worried about the low points, and it's this GP that had my ECG in front of her.
Can't wait to see the cardio, it just seems to take forever.
I'm very tempted to but an iPhone 5 and that app. I'd really love to have a record of what happening.
My husband is on biso I messaged this morning g actually asking about heart rate variations as it has gone from 50 to 119,today . He is in permanent AF or Persistant not sure . We are awaiting an arrhythmia clinic appointment as his AF caused his stroke three months ago . He has an Apple Watch series 8 that also has an ecg on it .
Hi Koll, my problem is a continually irractic heart rate. I use to train to my max hr but my heart started leaping high even at rest. I was on 6mg of Bisoprolol and suddenly my hr just dropped and I was on my knees gasping for breath. The doseage was dropped to 3.75mg that day and that stopped the really low hr. The biso still reduces my upper rate although my irregular hr remains. I still have the usual side effects of the drug.
I saw my doctor yesterday and she has booked me in for tests with a view to seeing a consultant thereafter. Although I was going to force a referral she said it was right to re access the situation, of her own volition.
You have a right to be referred so don't be put off from seeing a specialist.
Koll: I was told that anything below 50 needed attention. Mine dropped to 40 so I reduced my dose of Beta-blocker. The tablets I'm on can be split easily so I just cut one in half and took this until I was able to check with the nurse at the arrhythmia clinic the next day. She agreed, so I took the reduced dose for a week and then, once I was OK on this, I went back up to the previous amount and am OK.
What do you use to check your heart rate? I was using a BP monitor but was advised to ignore the heart rate it was producing because I have an irregular heart beat and the machine was unable to give an accurate figure. I was advised to take my pulse the old fashioned way with fingers on the wrist.
When I did this I found that my rate was low - but not as bad as the BP device was saying.
Thanks philologus, My EP actually took me off the Bisoprolol and said it was the wrong drug for me altogether. He put me on rhythm control drugs and I now feel back to normal.
I read that 'normal' heart rate is between 60 and 90 and I ask myself - why are we being given medication to slow us down to 30-40 - what good is it doing us?
Why are we always being told not to stop taking our pills without consulting our GPs with dire warnings about dangers?
Is this a cunning plot to keep us sedated, because I certainly feel sedated all the time on the present number of pills I throw down my neck.
In my case it was because the prescription came from my GP who did not know what she was doing. It was completely the wrong thing for me. My EP winced when he was told about it and took me straight off drugs to slow my heart down. Said he wasn't bothered about my slightly fast heart rate and put me on rhythm control drugs instead, which have always worked for me.
So I guess it depends on who is prescribing the drugs. Is it indeed just an error?
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